


Like a Moth to a Flame

by LeoBananaPhone0829



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Conspiracy, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, I only write minor characters with minimal screen time, Order 66, Original Character(s), Slow Burn, acceptance of death, band of misfits, prison break - Freeform, world building
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:40:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25499227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeoBananaPhone0829/pseuds/LeoBananaPhone0829
Summary: Luna was a damn good slicer, one of the best. When one of her Republic contacts suddenly disappears after sending her some terrifying files she knows she has to free the one person who could possibly help her figure out what hell is actually going on. She just hopes he won't turn her or her crew in.
Relationships: Dogma (Star Wars)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome! I've binged watched Clone Wars enough to now have multiple OC's live rent-free in my head. So we are evicting this one.

She stares at the screen in front of her. _CT-6845 is to be euthanized 16:10:13, 0800 hours._ _No degradation of bio-chip found. No longer needed for observation._ She takes off her goggles and rubs at her eyes. That can't be right. The Battle of Umbara was over a year ago, he should have been decommissioned by now. 

She pulls up the other file: _CT-5385: Biochip degradation- cause unknown. Premature execution of Order 66. Terminated: 17:4:21. Cause of death: Removal and decay of bio-chip._

She wishes she could ask Kix how he got ahold of these encrypted Separatist files, or where he disappeared to. She sighs and pulls up the last two files: _ARC-5555: Termination: 17:4:23, Cause of death: blaster bolt to the thoracic cavity. ARC-5555 removed his bio-chip resulting in psychosis._

 _Behavioral Modification Chip: Implanted to make clone troopers less aggressive than the clone template: Jango Fett. Placed to ensure obedience to contingency orders. Can be activated by voice command, erasing all existing biases and beliefs in the clone._ She closes the files and slips into her seat. If Kix found out the true design behind these chips it would make sense that he disappeared after he sent her the files. 

"Whatcha working on there, Sweetheart?" Mav'ena asks as she leans against the back of her chair, twirling her lekku. 

She looks up at her closest friend. "Remember when I worked with the 501st that one time?" She adjusts her goggles back over her eyes. 

"Yeah, what about 'em?" It seems she's piqued the Twilek's interest. 

"I got some encrypted files from one of my contacts before he disappeared. Nobody knows where he went, it's like he walked off his post and vanished after he sent these to me." She explains. "Do you remember when that ARC trooper was killed on Coruscant?" The bounty hunter nods. "One of the files is about him. It seems he got ahold of something he wasn't supposed to. And now I have it." She trails off. 

The Twi'lek places her hands on the slicer's shoulders. "Well, sucks to be you!" 

"That makes me feel so great, Mav. Thanks." She grumbles. 

"Come on, let's go get a drink. We won't be on this dustball much longer." Her friend waves as she walks out of the ship with the rest of the crew. 

She sighs as she locks up her terminal. Some alcohol does sound decent after what she just learned. 

\--------------------------------------

"Luna, if you keep staring at the wall, you're gonna burn a hole in it." Alsis slurs from his side of the table. "What's got you all shook up?" 

"Some files she got. The info killed some ARC trooper and now she has it." Mav says, pointing her glass in her direction. She always gets mouthy after a few drinks. 

"Oh please, you have stuff on everyone. You're really worried about having dirt on the Army?" Verlo asks. "Relax. Don't worry about it tonight." He leans back with his arms behind his head. 

Luna looks down at her drink. It's not the information she's worried about, it's Dogma. Sure, he never liked her, called her a degenerate and a criminal but the asshole is going to be killed in three days. _Euthanized._ Not just killed. He's going to be put down like a rabid animal. She has questionable morals, yes. But, to let someone die like that is awful. 

She drums her fingers on the sticky cantina table, looks around at the group before she speaks to the pilot droid sitting next to her, "Zik? How long would it take to get to Kamino from here?" She quietly asks. 

"Approximately sixteen hours." He says. 

"So I have time." She mumbles under her breath, she clears her throat before she stands. "I'm not feeling the whole drinking thing tonight, I'm going to head back to the ship." She puts on a tired smile for the rest of the crew. 

"Laaaaaame." Mav slurs as she downs another shot. 

She lays down a credit to pay for her singular drink before she stands and heads out. 

When she boots up her terminal she pulls up Dogma's file again, she's practically been staring at it since she got it. "Kix told me what you did." She talks to him like he's there with her. "Killing a Jedi. That's one of the worst crimes out there. He also told me which Jedi you killed. Krell was a bitch, he deserved it." She pulls her goggles down over her eyes as she brings up the GAR database. "Let's see if I can get you out of there." She takes a breath and rolls her shoulders before she gets to work. 

\----------------------------------------

Dogma stares at the ceiling. He doesn't know how much time has actually passed since they brought him back here. He looks over to where his cellmate is sleeping. Traz, the third trooper to share this tiny room with him. He knows this is what he deserves, to rot away in this room for the rest of his life. He didn't listen to his brothers. He let them die. This is his punishment. Honestly, he doesn't know why they haven't killed him yet. Why are they keeping him alive? He's a waste of space and resources. 

As the lights finally dim for the night he continues to stare up at the ceiling. 

\----------------------------------------

"Are those the floor plans for the Kaminoan labs?" Luca asks. 

Luna nods as she continues working on the firewall. "I'm trying to figure out what cell someone is in on the detention level." Her eyes scan the lines and lines of code as they scroll by. 

"Planning a prison break?" The Nautolan laughs.

"Actually yes." The Chiss barely looks up from the screen to tell him. 

"Is this a job for someone?" He asks, crossing his arms.

"Call it a... personal project." She replies.

"The great Hawk Moth wants to break someone out of clone jail?" He asks with a toothy smile. 

A smirk spreads across her face at the mention of her screen name. "And if I do?" 

"We haven't had fun like that in a while. You sure?" He asks. 

"He's got two and a half days left. He took out a corrupted Jedi." She explains to their leader. 

"Really? You know what they call Jedi Killers right?" He asks. 

Without looking up from her screen she replies, "My Mando'a is rusty, but I'm pretty sure it's 'Jetiise Kyramud'." Her fingers fly across the keys. "I got it. He's in cell-" She looks through the list of designations. "483B." She sits back and finally looks at Luca. "What d'ya think, Boss? I can get us in and out without any issues. You would just need to grab him." 

He stands for a moment, considering his options. "How long until his execution?" 

"About 56 hours. Zik said it'll take us sixteen from this system. That leaves us 40 to plan and bust him out." She calculates. 

"I'll discuss it with the team. We could always use someone else who can shoot a blaster." He taps her shoulder before he walks off. 

She looks up at the picture in Dogma's file. "I'll be there soon, just hold on." 

\----------------------------------

The stares he gets as he moves through the mess hall are always unnerving. Whispers about the Jedi Killer have yet to cease, even from some of the oldest residents of the detention level. "Jetiise Kyramud." Someone hisses, making him flinch. Of course, no one would tell them the whole story. He didn't kill a Jedi, he killed someone who killed countless brothers. 

He tries to shrug it off as he sits and stares at the mush on his tray. Someone sits down next to him, he tries to ignore their conversation. "Someone got through the firewall last night." One of them says excitedly.

"They got through the Kaminoan's tech? How?" The other clone is baffled. 

Dogma knows of one person who could get through a firewall of that caliber. "Did they leave a moniker?" He asks. 

"H4WK M07H, I think. That's what the guard said. Apparently, they're one of the best slicers out there." The guy next to him says.

Of course, it would be her. He just sighs raggedly. "Moth is a known criminal. Their actions shouldn't be praised just because they have decent skills." He explains. 

"What do you think they were looking for?" The other asks. 

Dogma stands before picking up his tray. He really doesn't want to hear them praise that lowlife and her skills, but he can't help but wonder what she was looking for. 

\---------------------------------

"I can get you in and out without them noticing! I already have all the information we need." She tries to explain to the crew. 

"When has she ever let us down? How many times has she helped us with our personal affairs? And she never said a word!" Mav'ena says. 

"If this goes wrong we aren't going to see the outside of a prison cell for the rest of our lives if we aren't killed on the spot!" Verlo exclaims. 

"Luna, are you sure you can do this? This is crazy even for you." Alsis asks. 

"I can pull it off. It's not hard. We've done worse." She says. 

"She can't even shoot a blaster! And she wants us to raid one of the most heavily guarded facilities in the galaxy?" Verlo continues to yell. 

"You won't even need blasters." She says. "If they don't even know you're there, there's no reason for them to shoot you." 

"You've gotten into their surveillance?" Verlo asks. 

"I've gotten into everything. I have floor plans, access codes, guard rotation schedules, cell numbers. You name it I have access." She beams proudly. 

"This might actually work," Alsis says to himself. 

"Zik, set a course to Kamino," Luca tells the droid. 

\--------------------------------

The Kaminoan stands in front of him, posture impeccable as she speaks. "CT-6845, you will be undergoing a procedure in 24 hours. I am just here to let you know." A procedure? The last guy to get a procedure didn't come back. 

As the long neck leaves he lets numbness seep through him, it's cold and welcoming. He no longer has to deal with anything, the stares, his brothers calling him a Jedi Killer, the tests. It'll all be over soon. He lets himself slide down the wall, tears silently slip down his cheeks. He thought he wanted to die, he thought he wanted to cease to exist, he technically already does. The numbness quickly gives way to terror. He's going to die, he's going to die and no one is going to know he's gone. Not Tup, or anyone else in the 501st. Not even Traz, no one will ever give his existence a second thought. This is it. This is where he ends. 

\--------------------------------

"Does everyone have their maps and access codes?" Luna asks. 

"You've asked us three times already, relax." Verlo barks. "If we pull this off he's bunking with you." It shouldn't surprise her, she was the last one to join the crew, not long after Mav, a few jobs, but just long enough for her to get what was essentially a closet for a room. She thinks it was a closet at one point. 

"We got this. You'll be in central control, divert the guards to the other side of the floor, and Luca and I will go get him." Mav lays a hand on her shoulder. "Alsis will guard the control center while you work your magic and Verlo will help us if we need it. Zik will be standing by, like always."

"You're in charge of this one. Just let us know." Luca tries to comfort her. 

"Zik, get us into position." She orders the droid. This definitely isn't her thing. She's the behind the scenes woman like Verlo said, she can't even shoot a blaster. 

The rain beats against the ship as she dons her goggles and takes a breath while the others ready their weapons. She loops the wires she will need around her chest and clutches the modified data pad tightly. "Careful, you might break it if you put any more pressure on the poor thing." Alsis jokes with a grin. 

She takes a deep breath and steels herself, she's not Luna anymore. She's H4WK M07H, legendary slicer, a known criminal, impossible to catch. "We are in position," Zik tells them. Luca opens the access hatch and a gust of freezing, wet air whips through the ship. She leans out and punches the access code into the panel and it slides open. 

"We all know our positions. Let's get this done." Luca announces before he jumps into the air vent. Verlo grumbles as he follows Luca and Mav. 

"We got this Moth. Easy peasy." Alsis gives her his signature grin before he too leaps into the air vent.

Everything about the Kamino facility is sterile, even the air ducts, not a speck of dust to be found. When they reach a panel she plugs in her datapad. "This will scramble the surveillance, it won't shut it down, it'll loop the last fifteen minutes. By the time they notice we'll already be long gone." She explains to Alsis as she types. When she clears the rows of codes she unplugs and continues her way down the air shaft, turning corners at what seems like random. She stops at a grate and looks down. "This is the control room for this floor." She eyes the clones sitting at the terminals, they aren't even paying attention to the screens. 

Alsis moves the grate aside before he drops down silently, knocking both of the guards out with the butt of his blaster. He gives her a thumbs-up as she drops from the ceiling herself. She sets her comm on the terminal as she plugs in. "Alright, made it to the control room, I am opening the cell at the other end of the floor now. The guards will have fun with this guy." She tells them. 

_"Getting to the cell now. 483B, Correct? What's his name, I think he has a cellmate?_ " Mav asks. 

"CT-6845." She responds. "He's an ass, watch out." She warns Mav. 

\------------------------------------------

He sits up when the alarms go off. That means someone somehow got out. Footsteps stop outside of his cell and he tenses up. He can hear at least two voices, not clones or Kaminoan. Traz looks up from what he's doing just as the door slides open, revealing a Twi'lek, her skin is mottled in pinks and oranges, and a blue-green Nautolan with a grin on his face. A Zeltron stands off to the side, blaster pointed towards him. The Twi'lek twirls her lekku as she speaks. "Which one of you is CT-6845?" She asks casually. 

Dogma's jaw drops. They're here for him? How did they get into this facility? Or onto this floor for that matter? He swallows and steps forward. "That would be me, ma'am." 

Traz looks between him and the Twi'lek before he rushes forward. The Zeltron fires a stun bolt, and he falls on his face. "Alright, let's get moving." She holds her comm up to her face. "I found your guy, Moth. He's a pretty one." She smirks as she looks him up and down. 

"Of course you're with Moth." He grumbles under his breath, rolling his eyes.

"We need to get moving! Those guards'll be back any second." The Zeltron announces. 

_"Get back to the ship, we're on our way."_ The slicer announces over the comm. 

"Let's go, Pretty Boy." She points down the hall towards an open ventilation shaft. 

He doesn't even look back before he sprints to the vent. His chest feels like it's going to explode. He's not going to die. His hands shake as he crawls into the vent behind the Twi'lek, the Nautolan crouches in behind him and secures the grate behind him. He doesn't ask any questions, not yet, not when they can just throw him back into that cell. Even though he wants to scream at them, ask them why, why him? Why did she choose him of all people?

He catches a glimpse of blue skin and orange hair, she changed the color. It used to be a vibrant green. A human male follows close behind her, blaster trained ahead as they walk down the vent. She has a set of wires wrapped around her like a sash, a datapad in hand, her goggles hang around her neck. She looks so unassuming for someone with such a reputation. She stops at an access hatch and punches in a code, causing it to slide open. The air is cold and damp, he hasn't felt the outside air in almost a year. It causes him to gasp and everyone looks back at him. "He's been in a cell for almost a year. Cut him some slack." Moth tells them. 

"Zik, get ready, we're back." The human talks into his comm as he jumps the gap into a ship. He reaches out his hand and the Twi'lek takes it as he pulls her across. The Nautolan is next and then he's reaching out for him. He stares at the hand outstretched to him. What is he doing? He's going to be a fugitive, they're going to hunt him down, he'll be a criminal. 

"Dogma, go! We don't have much time left!" Moth yells over the wind. He looks between her and the hand again before he finally takes it and the guy hauls him across the gap. Better to be a criminal than to be dead. 

\------------------------------------

Dogma finally takes Aslis's hand and he's yanked into the ship. He pulls her inside before he yells to the cockpit. "Zik, get movin!" The ship lurches away before it speeds towards the atmosphere. 

She stands for a minute to catch her breath. It feels like hours had gone by when in fact it had only been minutes. "Well, CT-6845. Welcome aboard the Vermin!" Alsis announces. She can't help but stifle a laugh. 

"The Vermin?" Dogma asks. 

"It was either that or The Misery." The Twi'lek explains as she sits in one of the chairs. 

Alsis walks over to Mav and puts his hands on her shoulders, shaking her a bit. "This is Mav'ena, she's one of the best bounty hunters in the parsec." He points to Verlo. "The Zeltron is Verlo Thiff, also a bounty hunter." Verlo grunts in return. "He's always grumpy. Don't worry. Luca Tille is our 'leader'. Best smuggler around." He gestures towards the Nautolan. "Our slicer is Luna, a good slicer never tells their true identity, I think you already know her. Won't ask about that one quite yet." He says as he waves his hand in her direction. 

"Alsis has no tact. You get used to it." Mav'ena chimes in. "You forgot X1K. He's our pilot." She hooks a thumb in the direction of the cockpit. 

"We call 'im Zik." Luna says. She eyes Dogma carefully. He looks like he might pass out. "This is CT-6845. Or as I know him, Dogma." She introduces the clone. Dogma's wide gold eyes flick from her to the crew gathered around. He needs some space before he starts to hyperventilate. "Here, I'll show you around. Come on." She nods towards where their rooms are. He looks like he wants to argue but he just nods. 

When she leads him away from the group he finally relaxes minutely. "Why did you save me?" He blurts. 

"This goes deeper than you. Way deeper. I think you can help me out. If you don't turn me in, that is." Her voice drips with an unsaid threat. 

"You're a criminal. Why shouldn't I turn you in?" It seems he hasn't changed a bit.

"You're a fugitive now. They'll be hunting you down as well. They'll connect you to me. They'll connect me to the rest of the crew and then Verlo will kill us both to keep us quiet." She says. He glares at her. "You're a criminal now too." She smiles. "Unfortunately, we will be sharing the same room. That was part of the deal." She types in the access code and her door slides open. "Passcode is 0829. We'll sleep in shifts if you want. You don't look like a cuddler." She crosses her arms as he walks into the small space. It's small but it's still hers. 

He looks around at the sparse space with wonder in his eyes. His eyes focus on the small half-dead plant that's been stuck down to the viewport sill. "You have a plant." He observes.

"That's Delores. She hasn't been doing great." She explains. Sometimes she forgets that the clones really don't have anything to themselves. "I'll see if Alsis has any extra clothes, we can't have you running around in those." She gestures to the blue fatigues he's wearing. "I'll be back." She leaves him standing in the middle of the room and walks back down the hall. "Alsis, you wouldn't happen to have a couple of extra sets of clothes, would you? Those fatigues will give him away. When we land at the next port I'll get him something else."

When she enters the room Alsis is already there with a bundle of various fabrics in his arms. "Figured you'd ask. Hopefully, this'll be okay." She smiles at him, for a smuggler he really is nice. 

He drops the bundle into her arms and she turns back towards the room. 

\----------------------------------------

Dogma sits on the edge of the bed as he continues to look around the room. It's small, it looks like it was a storage closet that was stripped out. Her blankets are messy, nothing like the standard hospital corners that have been ingrained in him since he was two. As he looks around the room he notices little piles of things here and there, little knick-knacks, wires, and tools, electronics that have been taken apart and forgotten about. 

When he focuses on the blankets again he notices one tucked into the mess, it looks fuzzy, almost like the wool of an animal. He reaches out and strokes the purple material. It's _soft._ One of the softest things he's ever touched. He has the urge to wrap himself in it and never let go. 

The door swooshes open again and Moth comes in with a bundle of clothing in her arms. "Alsis said you could borrow some of his clothes. He's the closest to your height. Hopefully, they fit. When we hit the next port I'll get you something else, something that doesn't scream 'smuggler'." She says as she drops the clothes beside him. 

He stares up at her as she looks around not knowing what to say. He still doesn't understand why she saved him. He tries to get his brain to cooperate as he tells himself again and again that she's a criminal and belongs in jail, but he can't seem to convince himself. "I'll let you get settled in. I'll be at my terminal if you need anything. You don't have to ask me, I would suggest Luca or Alsis though, they have decent people skills." She turns and leaves, leaving him to sit alone in the small room. She pops her head into the doorway one more time, "Don't bother Verlo, please." She says before disappearing down the hall. 

He feels like he has whiplash, this morning he was told he had twenty-four hours left to live and now he's on a band of criminal's ship. It's actually quite nice despite the unfortunate name. He's no longer a soldier, he's a fugitive. He takes a deep breath, this is fine. He can adapt, it's what he was made to do. Adapt, overcome, survive. It's as easy as that. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I love feedback! Let me know what you think.

Dogma watches from afar as the slicer works, Alsis stands over her pointing out exactly what he needs for his next run. She nods as she looks through the manifests. Luca joins her and Alsis, nodding along with what they are discussing before he pats the slicer on the shoulder and walks towards him. "We'll be at Sleheyron soon. You'll go with Luna while we get our next haul. She'll get supplies that we need, I'll send Mav with you two as well." He says to the Twi'lek who has her boots up on a table. "Can you shoot a blaster?" He asks. 

"Yes, sir." Dogma replies automatically. 

The Nautolan frowns. "None of that 'yes, sir.', 'no sir' BS. I'm not your commanding officer." 

"S-sorry." He stutters out. 

The Nautolan passes him a blaster pistol, which he tucks into the waistband of his pants. Civvies feel weird, the fabric is thick and the shirt is too loose, at least the pants have a lot of pockets. "Keep an eye on my girls. They can get into trouble when they're together." Luca affectionately ruffles Moth's hair. 

Moth just rolls her eyes as she hands a datapad to Alsis. "That should be everything." She takes her goggles off and lets them hang around her neck. She stands and beckons for the Twi'lek to follow her down the hall, Mav'ena stands and follows her without hesitation. 

He's heard stories about Sleheyron, the planet is deep in Hutt Space. The Republic doesn't even bother with trying to regulate the things that go in and out of the ports. It's known for its economy that was built on slave trade and criminal acts alone. A nasty place suited for the worst people. "We are coming out of hyperspace." A mechanical voice says over the loudspeaker, he hasn't actually seen the droid pilot yet. 

The Twi'lek emerges with a poncho in her hands, she chucks it at Dogma. "You look too much like a clone. Put the hood on." She orders.

Moth follows behind her, she shoves her arms through a jacket, an older military fatigue adorned with a multitude of patches and spikes, she also has a utility belt slung across her hips, various tools and a datapad hang on it. 

"We all have our jobs. We'll meet back at..." Luca looks down at his chrono, "Why don't we say, 1730. How's that sound?" 

\-----------------------------------

She's always liked Sleheyron, the bustling urban environment made her feel energized and alert, puts a bounce in her step and a smile on her face. 

That smile fades when Dogma catches up to her, "This place is full of nothing but criminals! Do you know what the Republic briefings say about this planet?!" 

"Sweetie, we are criminals." Mav chimes in and Luna has to stifle a laugh. 

"Also the Republic gets a lot of their tibanna gas from Sleheyron. They refine it here." Luna tells the clone. 

"-The economy was built solely on slave trade!" He continues. 

"You should have left him on Kamino," Mav whispers to her. 

"We can always leave him here." The Chiss shrugs. "He can find work. He's strong, capable," She turns back to him. "Annoying." She notices the movement in the corner of her eye, someone who hasn't moved on in some time, following them. 

Dogma gives her a frown but that at least shuts him up for the time being. 

"Here. Take him with you. I'm going to try and find some wiring." She drops a bag of credits into Mav's awaiting hand. "Get him some plain-looking clothes. Maybe something that covers his face." She tells the Twi. "I'll come find you in a bit." 

Mav'ena grabs Dogma by the collar and hauls him into the crowds. Once she's sure they have disappears in the crowd, she turns to the person that's been following them. She brandishes one of her tools as she speaks. "What do you want?" She asks menacingly. 

The human male looks her up and down. "He would bring in a pretty credit. A clone like him is built to be strong, can withstand almost anything." 

"You're a slaver." She spits, she may be a criminal but these guys are bottom of the barrel. "He's not for sale, he's part of a crew already. Keep it moving." She growls. 

The man looks at his nails. "Suit yourself. Come find me if you want him off your hands." The guy turns and moves through the crowd. 

"Scum." She mutters under her breath as she continues on.

\---------------------------

Mav'ena throws a shirt at his head. It hits him square in the face. "I bet you would look good in black. Or maybe blue." She picks up a 501st blue shirt and also chucks it at him. The material is soft, durable but still soft. She piles several more things into his arms before she hands over the pouch of credits to the shop owner. He works to shove everything into her bag, that she had him hold as they walk back out into the heat. 

Moth is standing against the wall, arms crossed, a hefty looking tool in hand, one of her booted feet pressed against the stone. She seems to be watching, almost looking for someone. "You look spooked, someone try to jump ya?" Mav'ena asks. 

"The slavers are out today. Looking for fresh meat." The Chiss says, not taking her red eyes off of the crowd, her face pulled into a scowl. If it wasn't for her orange hair styled into two buns on top of her head and her small stature he thought she may have looked intimidating. She looks at them, "Think Luca and Alsis are done yet?" 

Mav'ena shrugs. "Who knows with those two. We could always go get something to eat that isn't freeze-dried. If I have to eat anymore bantha jerky I'm going to go insane. I hope you stocked up on something decent." She motions to the bag on Moth's shoulder. 

"Verlo tried last time. Emphasis on 'tried'." She laughs. 

\--------------------------

She watches as Dogma stares at the meat and fern potato in front of him. He hesitantly takes a bite before his eyes grow wide. Mav leans over, "He acts like he's never seen real food before."

"That's because he hasn't. Anything that isn't rations is technically contraband. They aren't allowed to eat what isn't synthesized for them." Luna explains as he inhales his food. "Hey!" She snaps in front of his face. "Slow down. You're going to end up choking. No one's going to take it from you." 

The clone looks up at her with his mouth full before he swallows and actually slows down. 

She ducks her head when the door opens and reveals the slaver and a few of his friends. "Hood up, Dogma." She whispers, reaching over the table and yanking his hood up over his head. "Heads down." Her and Mav hunch down. 

Dogma looks up at her with confusion, his mouth still of food. "He tried to get me to sell you to him." She shivers at the implications. His eyes widen before he too hunches down still shoving food into his mouth. At least she knows he has an appetite, at least they didn't do anything to that. 

When the man turns he has a predatory smile on his face. He looks Mav'ena up and down. "Kriffin hells, we need to get out of here." Luna whispers. "You two go out the back, I'll distract him." She pulls the heaviest tool from her belt before she slips out of the booth. 

\-------------------------

"Hey ugly!" Moth runs at the slaver, wrench in hand. The tool collides with his face and he goes down before she turns to the Trandoshoan with a gleam in her eyes. He pulls his blaster but not before she launches herself at him, easily clinging to his shoulders as he throws her around. The other human woman with him aims and fires her blaster, missing her altogether. 

"She's good at starting fights. It's one of the reasons we keep her around." Mav'ena tells him as they run through a back room. Dogma follows the woman through the alleys until they come upon the main road. 

Moth runs towards them, goggles on and wrench still in hand, there's a large bruise forming on her right cheek and her nose is bleeding. "Back to the ship!" She yells, not slowing her pace as she runs past them, three Trandoshans on her trail. 

Dogma gulps and pulls his blaster as he takes off after her. "You made them mad!"

"They were going to steal you and Mav! What else was I supposed to do?!" She shouts back at her. 

"Not make them angry!" He yells back. 

He follows Moth through side streets and back alleys before they make it back to the _Vermin._ Alsis and Luca stand against the ship, as well as the pilot droid. "Zik! Start up the ship!" Mav'ena screams. 

The droid starts but runs as best it can into the ship. "What did you two do this time?" Alsis asks as they rush up the ramp, he pulls his blaster and shoots off a few rounds casually, as if he was at routine target practice before he too makes his way into the ship. 

Moth wipes the back of her hand across her nose, smearing blood across her face, Dogma's face scrunches up at the sight. 

"Slavers. They wanted Dogma and Mav." She pants as she explains what happened. 

"And you decided to fight them?" Luca crosses his arms, a small smile on his face. 

"They needed a distraction, I had a wrench. It worked out." The slicer shrugs as she takes off her goggles.

Luca shakes his head and laughs. 

Dogma stands off to the side, trying to catch his breath. These people are insane, Moth has little to no actual training in any kind of fighting and attacked a group of people with a _wrench_ of all things. All of them had blasters. He turns on her when the others settle down. "You could have been killed! What were you thinking?!"

The woman looks at him, face swollen and her nose still trickling blood. "I was thinking that we were about to lose two crew members to a slaver! One who couldn't take the hint. You need to remember that this isn't our first day out in the galaxy. It may be yours but we've been doing this for years." She tells him. She takes a breath and wipes at her nose again. "Just sit back and let us handle things." She pulls back her hand and looks at the blood smeared on it before she pushes past him.

\-----------------------------

She scrubs at the blood on her face. She knew Dogma would be insufferable but she forgot how bad he really was. She looks into the mirror at the bruising across her cheek, the blues and purples darkening. It's going to take some time to heal without bacta. She drops the rag into the sink with a sigh and splashes more water on her face, watching the last of the blood swirl down the drain. At least her nose isn't broken. She slides open the door and is met with Verlo. "What happened to you?"

She rolls her eyes at the Zeltron. "Slavers." She replies. 

"You took care of them?" He asks. 

"Everyone's fine." She tells him. He nods before he walks off. He may seem bitter and closed off but he's the worrier, always concerned about everyone. 

Her face throbs as she walks to her room and punches in the code. The door slides open as she looks at the blood staining the collar of her shirt. When she looks up Dogma is standing in the middle of the room, eyes not quite focused. He blinks and looks at her. She never realized just how imposing he is. He was created for combat, for war. He's tall, he probably has half a meter on her easily, not to mention he's muscular, even after spending almost a year in a cell he's still in peak physical condition. His tan skin and piercing gold eyes make him something to look at. Mav was right when she said he was a looker, all of the clones are but he just has a little extra something, maybe it's the intricate tattoo on his face. She shakes herself from her thoughts, "Sorry, I was going to change my shirt and take a nap." She says, looking down at her boots. 

"Oh, uh. Okay, sorry." He looks sheepish as he steps around her and walks out. 

She shucks her jacket and boots before pulling off her shirt and chucking it into a corner before she slides on a new one. She turns to the impeccably made bed, something she still hasn't gotten completely used to in the few days he's been here. She peels back the covers and notices he switched the order of blankets, the softest one in place of the top sheet. It makes her smile as she crawls into the covers, letting his scent float around her, he even smells good. He would be perfect if he wasn't such an ass. His personality makes it hard to actually care about him. 

\--------------------------

Dogma tries to be quiet as he looks through the many compartments of the ship. "Whatcha lookin for, Pretty Boy?" He tenses up when Mav'ena speaks. 

"Do you have a first aid kit?" He asks. She looks him up and down with a frown. "That bruise on her cheek, when she wakes up it's going to be worse. I was just looking for bacta gel." 

She sighs. "She doesn't like to use our supply." The Twi'lek digs through the cabinet next to him, "Thinks she doesn't need it because she's not the one out and about. She likes to save it for us." She produces a small tube of the gel and hands it to him. "Good luck trying to get her to put it on." She says as she walks away. 

When he punches in the room code he flinches at how loud it is but it doesn't seem to bother her. He slinks in and opens the tube as he stands over her, she's burrowed into the blankets, her bruised cheek barely visible. He carefully folds down the blanket and smears some of the gel on his fingertips, coating the bruise liberally, she barely stirs. He remembers having to do this for his brothers while they slept, not injured enough to see a medic but just enough for it to be uncomfortable. He always kept extra bacta on him for them. He slips the tube into a drawer before he leaves.

When the door slides shut behind him he is met with the Zeltron, Verlo. "You got her to put on bacta?" He asks. 

Dogma shakes his head. "Didn't want to wake her so I did it myself."

"How does she know you? Up until she got those files she never said a word about clones." He crosses his arms, the thick corded muscle straining. 

Dogma gulps, this man could kill him right here, right now. "I'm not sure of the circumstances exactly but, she worked with the legion I was assigned to for a short amount of time. A month or two, sir." He says. He curses himself for letting the designation slip. 

The Zeltron continues to look him up and down. "So, what your friends?" He accuses. 

"No, sir." A twitch of a smile crosses his face. "The opposite. I called her a low-life criminal." He winces. 

Verlo huffs. "And yet she still saved your ass. You must have made quite the impression for her to want to risk her skin in a move like that." He leans forward. "I would have left you for dead." 

Dogma gulps, don't fuck with the Zeltron, got it. The man steps back before looking him over one more time. "Don't disappoint her." He threatens before he stalks off. 

\------------------------

When she wakes up the first thing she notices is the distinct lack of throbbing in her face. She was completely prepared to be swollen and sore. That means only one thing. Someone doused her in bacta while she was still asleep. She doesn't know whether to be mad or impressed that they did it without waking her. She slides out of the warmth of the blankets and shoves her feet into her boots before she stumbles out of the room. 

"Well good morning to you, Sweet Cheeks," Mav says, her booted feet in their usual position on her terminal.

"Which one of you assholes smeared bacta on me?" She gets right to the point. Nobody makes eye contact with her, Mav resorts to adjusting her lekku harness and Alsis pretends to be busy looking at a datapad. Dogma doesn't turn to face her at all, his shoulders tense. She should have known it was him, he's the only one with her room code. "I'm not mad, Dogma." She lets her fabricated anger fizzle out. 

"I- I'm sorry. A bruise that bad would have taken at least a week to heal without it. Your face was swollen." He says, his eyes still don't meet hers. 

"Who gave it to you?" Her next question is pointed towards the bounty hunter and smuggler. 

"Mav'ena did." He replies sheepishly. 

"Mav, what have I told you?" She crosses her arms and shifts her weight from foot to foot. The Twi'lek still refuses to look at her. "Mav'ena." 

"Not the responsible little sister look. Please." Mav sinks farther into her seat. "He looked so sad about it. It was also our fault you had to start the fight. You deserved some bacta." She groans. 

"Fine. Just this once." She can't keep a straight face anymore. 

"You're an ass. An insufferable ass." Mav points at her. 

Luna lets a laugh ring through the air. She plops into her seat at the terminal with a smile, pushing Mav's feet off the surface. "Treat the equipment with respect, ma'am." She jeers. 

"You know how many candy wrappers I picked up last week alone? Respect the equipment." Mav mocks. 

"Ladies, ladies. Relax. You're both horrible people to share a living space with." Alsis cuts in, a grin plastered on his face. 

"Oh, we're gonna go there, Alsis?" Mav turns to the smuggler. 

Luna laughs as she boots up her terminal. Luca comes out of the cockpit and stands beside her, his hand on the back of her chair. "What's this job?" He asks, his eyes scanning the code. 

"The Nite Owls need some intel on The Shadow Collective." She slides her goggles over her eyes. 

"The Shadow Collective?" Dogma asks. 

"Crimson Dawn, Black Sun, The Pykes, Death Watch, among others." She explains. 

"That's almost every crime syndicate in the galaxy!" The clone moves to her side. "How are you going to get intel on them and not get killed?" 

She rolls her neck and stretches her arms. "Watch." She starts with Death Watch, they have a standard firewall. It'll keep out basic slicers who don't know what they're doing. "Death Watch coordinates everything by mouth, usually. But, they can't do that when they purchase supplies and weapons." Her fingers fly over the keys looking for the manifests. "A lot of what I do is just finding what people think doesn't need to be locked up. I can usually get everything with minimal effort." Once she has what she needs she switches to Crimson Dawn. "Let's see who this Dryden Vos is." She mumbles as she flips through files. 

\----------------------

Dogma watches as she flips through code and files faster than he could ever hope to read them. Her eyes flit through the information, copying what she needs before switching to the next syndicate. He notices that she chews on her bottom lip while she works. The lines of code reflect off of her orange-tinted goggles, made to protect her eyes from the screens. He remembers one of the nat born intel officers had a pair similar to hers. 

He's not sure how long he watches her work. The others make their way to their rooms for the sleep cycle but she continues to work. "You should get some sleep." She says, breaking him out of his trance. 

He blinks his dry eyes before he stands. "How much longer are you going to be?" He asks. 

"Almost done. Just a couple more things. Don't worry about me." She says not even looking up from the screen. 

He nods and walks towards their room. It's still strange, having a room. One that he can put things in that actually belong to him. Like clothes, civilian clothes at that. He sorts through the pile and pulls one of the empty boxes out from under the bed. He folds everything neatly before he pulls the blue shirt and a comfortable pair of shorts out of the pile before changing into them. 

Sliding into bed is actually a nice experience for him. The blankets aren't itchy and they don't smell like industrial laundry detergent. No, they smell like her with a little hint of bacta. The smell of her has become a comfort over the last few days. He still can't believe she saved him from execution. He wants to ask again why, but he already got an answer, _"This goes deeper than you. Way deeper. I think you can help me."_ What goes deeper than him? It must have some reason why he was kept alive for so long, she must know something he doesn't. Verlo mentioned files but from who? Where? What are they hiding from him? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying with the enemies to lovers thing. I've never written it before but I'll figure it out. Thanks for stopping by! Stay safe and sane out there!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Leave me some feedback, good or bad doesn't matter to me! Thanks for stopping by!

She waits for the door to close fully before she pulls off her goggles and rubs at her eyes. She slumps back in her chair as she sends out the files and almost immediately there's a ding from her datapad. She opens it and notices the credits for the job have already been wired to her. The Night Owls don't play around. She's grateful for that. 

She tugs her goggles back into place and reaches into a crate under her desk, pulling out a random bag of candy. She tears open the corner of the bag of gummy mantas using her teeth as she brings up the dreaded files again. She starts with the contingency orders, there are supposedly 150 of them. As she reads them they get more and more disturbing and violent. Order 66 seems tame compared to ones like Order 37. 

She frantically opens the bio-chip file again. Millions of these men could be brainwashed with the uttering of a few words. She looks down the hall towards where Dogma is sleeping. His chip is still in there and he has no idea. None at all. She feels sick with the thought of him being turned into nothing more than a weapon with a heartbeat. 

Her hands shake as she stands. She has to tell him, she has to tell him now.

\------------------

The sound of pounding feet and the code being punched into the door wakes him. Moth stands in the doorway, her eyes wide as she rushes inside. "Up, Dogma. Come on." She pulls him up and drags him through the quiet ship to her terminal. "There's something I need to tell you. Show you." She says as she sits and pulls up multiple files. "I need to tell you why I rescued you." She says frantically before turning to him, "One of the five-oh firsts medics disappeared, but before he vanished into thin air he sent me some files." 

"Which medic?" Dogma asks her. Coric, Kix, Needle, Stitches?

"Kix." She replies. "They looked for days but couldn't find any trace of him. The leading theory is that the Separatists got ahold of him, and considering what he sent me it wouldn't surprise me if that was the case." She says. 

She pulls up a file, CT-5385, Tup. He frowns. "What does Tup have to do with this?" 

She gets up and pulls him into her seat, "Read." 

He skims through the lines in the file: _Biochip malfunction caused premature execution of Order 66. CT-5385 was terminated 17:4:21. Cause of death: Decay and removal of behavioral modification chip._ Tup is dead. The fact hits him like a speeder. He's the last one in his squad. Everyone else is dead. 

"Are you familiar with all of the contingency orders?" Moth asks. 

He nods. "Order 66: In the event of Jedi Officers acting against the interests of the Republic, and after receiving specific orders verified as coming directly from the Supreme Commander, GAR commanders will remove those officers by lethal force, and command of the GAR will revert to the Supreme Commander until a new command structure is established."

"From what I got from the files, Tup's chip decayed enough for him to kill a Jedi general during the Battle of Ringo Vinda. ARC trooper fifty-five fifty-five discovered that all of the clones have these chips in their heads. He was killed because of this information." She leans over and opens the file on the behavioral chips. "These chips will brainwash you into following these orders no matter the cost." 

Dogma reads over the words, this can't be right. A chip to control them? The bio-chips are there to help them stay calm and level-headed, they aren't made to control them. "No, this is ridiculous. Obviously, the files you were sent are fake. Kix probably just defected." Dogma defends. 

"These are Separatist and Republic files, there's no way they could have been fabricated. I've dealt with fake files, these aren't them. I'm sorry." She says. 

This can't be true. The Separatists are in his head? If the Separatists are in on this, does that mean the Chancellor knows? Has he been pulling the strings this whole time? But that would mean? No, the Chancellor is the Sith the Jedi have been trying to find? 

His hands start to shake as he clutches at his head. "They're in my head." He whispers. Tears start to form in his eyes but he blinks them away. "They're in my head!" He gasps. Panic fills him. They could flip a switch and control him like a puppet. He left but they can still control him. 

"I'll see if I can find someone who can remove the chip. I have a few contacts I can talk to. It'll be alright." She tries to soothe him. 

He straightens out at her words, why would she help him? "You would do that?" 

She gives him a confused frown, "Why wouldn't I?" 

Nobody ever wanted to help him, if anything they avoided him. "I just-" He stutters. 

She locks eyes with him, her face stoic and serious, "I may just be a criminal but that doesn't mean I don't care about people. I won't let them turn you into a puppet for their games. I promise." She turns her eyes back to the screen, "You should go back to sleep. I'll keep at it for a while, I'll let you know what I find." 

He nods and walks back to their room. He sinks onto the bed as he stares out into hyperspace. It finally hits him that Tup and Fives are dead, gone. They didn't even die in battle, Tup went insane, he killed one of the Jedi, this time it wasn't his choice. None of this was their choice, they didn't ask to be created. To serve in a war that really didn't have a purpose, blindly following orders. And now if they don't obey they can just make them. It's horrifying. He hugs his knees close to his chest, as the tears stream down his face. Tup is gone. His brother is gone. 

He lets himself lay down, curled into himself. He pulls at the soft, purple blanket, wrapping himself in it. It smells like her, it smells like the woman who saved him, the one person who actually cares about him now. He lets his eyes drift closed and takes a few deep breaths before he finally relaxes enough to sleep. 

\-----------------

"Is he still asleep?" Alsis asks as he trudges into the common area barefoot and shirtless. 

"He's had a rough few days, I think he deserves to sleep in," Mav says as she pours him a cup of caf. 

"But, that also means we have to deal with a grouchy splicer," Luca says. 

She barely looks up from her bowl of porridge, "'M fine. He'll wake up soon." Her words have a little bit of a slur to them. 

"You could just kick him out of your room," Verlo cuts in. 

"I gave him some pretty bad news last night. I'm just going to let him sleeps as long as he wants." She tells them. 

"What kind of bad news?" Luca presses. 

She shouldn't say anything, but her sleep-deprived mind isn't connecting to her mouth properly. "He's the last remaining member of his squad. The other four are dead. Not only did his last squad member die but before he died he went insane and killed a Jedi General." 

"So it's a family thing then?" Alsis asks. 

She huffs in agreement before she lets her head hit the table. 

"Alright, he's slept long enough. I'm waking him up." Verlo stands from the table.

"You don't have to, I'm already awake." Dogma's voice rings out. 

Her stomach drops to the floor. How long has he been standing there? "Kriff." She groans out, she buries her face into the cold durasteel of the table. 

"Why did you tell them?" Dogma asks. 

"Oh please, Sweetie. You think you're the only one with a tragic backstory?" Mav'ena points a manicured finger at him, "How do you think we all got here? We all just grew up normal and then picked our professions at the career fair? We're all kriffed up in our own special ways." The woman flicks her lekku over her shoulder. She sighs, "I owe my life to people like Alsis and Luca. Smugglers got me out of the slave trade. I would have ended up as a Hutt's whore without them." She explains. 

"Oh, so we're telling our tales now?" Alsis mocks, an easy smile on his face. "My parents were killed in an industrial accident in one of the factories on Corellia, I became a scrumrat, eventually I joined a crew, got off that cesspool of a planet." 

Verlo turns to her, "Go get some sleep, kid." She nods and hauls herself out of the chair, she pauses for a moment to pat Dogma on the shoulder before moving down the hall. 

She stands for a moment in the doorway, he cleaned. She isn't sure when, but he did. The piles of electronics are categorized and her jacket is folded and set aside neatly, even Delores has been trimmed and watered.

She shucks off her boots and places her goggles on the crate she uses as a nightstand. She can ask him about everything later. For now she needs sleep.

\--------------------------

Mav'ena watches the clone closely, his movements are still jerky and unsure around them. She wonders if he has always been this nervous or if it's just a thing he picked up in prison. She won't ask just yet.

He barely looks up when Verlo places a bowl of porridge in front of him, "Th- thank you." He stammers out. 

His gold eyes flick around for a moment before he begins to eat. She shares a look with Alsis before she speaks again, "We'll be heading to Kijimi, it's not the best place to be based out of but it gives us enough to work with." She explains. 

"Kijimi, ma'am?" The clone asks, his tattoo creases in confusion, it almost makes her laugh.

"It's a planet in the Bryx system. Nothing but mountains and ice." Alsis explains. 

Dogma just nods and focuses back on his food. 

Mav stares at him, that's the only question he has about the planet? Nothing about the population or the government, or lack thereof? His eyes grow distant after a few moments, she can tell he's thinking of something far off. She's seen the same look on Luna's face before. He's a worrier or a dreamer. She can't tell which yet. 

Alsis bumps her before giving her a glare. "Stop staring at the poor kid," He hisses. "He's gonna notice." 

She just rolls her eyes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of short. I know where it's going I just gotta get there somehow. Thanks for reading! Stay safe and sane out there!


End file.
